Emery awaits Rashford’s situation

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is hopeful that star player Marcus Rashford will be able to play again in the remaining matches of the season, but he is not discussing his long-term future at this time.

PA Media reported that Rashford suffered a knee ligament injury in the build-up to the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace, and Emery announced that Rashford will be out for several weeks.

With four rounds of matches remaining, beginning with Fulham’s visit to Villa Park on Saturday, there are concerns that Rashford will not play again before his loan from Manchester United ends.

However, Emery raised the possibility of Rashford returning in time to help Villa achieve their goal of qualifying for the Champions League.

Emery said: “Regarding tomorrow’s match, Rashford will not be available. He is working to return as soon as possible, but it will still be a few weeks before he is available for the rest of the season.”

He added, “Of course, there are four weeks left, and we hope he plays one or two games with us. We hope he helps us. And of course, he’s recovering. I want to see him happy. He plays, achieves our goal, and then, of course, we’ll talk about everything.”

Nottingham Forest’s loss to Brentford on Thursday boosted Aston Villa’s hopes of securing a Champions League spot. Aston Villa (57 points) could draw level on points with Forest (60 points) and Chelsea (60 points) with a win.